How many airports are there in Zanzibar?
Zanzibar has one main international airport, one secondary domestic airport, and several smaller airstrips. Although the most well-known part of the aviation infrastructure in Zanzibar is the main international airport near Stone Town, the other part of it somewhat goes beyond that with the increased tourism sector and inter-island tours.
1. Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) – Main Airport
This is the main airport of Zanzibar and processes almost all the international and domestic commercial flights.
- Location: Approximately 5 km from Stone Town, on Unguja Island, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago.
- IATA Code: ZNZ
- Role: It is the only international airport in Zanzibar.
- Terminals:
- Terminal 2: Older terminal and it deals in domestic and regional flights primarily.
- Terminal 3: The terminal opened a few years ago which is used in handles international flights
- Flight Services:
- International Flights: Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, FlyDubai, Ethiopian Airlines, Oman Air, and others perform routes to such cities as Doha, Istanbul, Dubai, Addis Ababa, Muscat, etc.
- Domestic Flights: There are regular flights to Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Pemba Island on domestic airlines such as Air Tanzania, Precision Air and Coastal Aviation.
This airport is the key entry point into Zanzibar and it services most passengers, particularly tourists.
2. Pemba Airport (PMA) – Second Airport
Pemba Airport, Wawi or Karume Airport is a small domestic airport, located on the Pemba Island, second largest island of the Zanzibar Archipelago.
- IATA Code: PMA
- Location: Near the town of Chake Chake in central Pemba.
- Services: Limited to domestic flights, mainly from Unguja (ZNZ) and Dar es Salaam.
- Aircraft Type: Mostly light aircraft and turboprops.
- Runway: Recently upgraded to support better regional service.
Though not international, Pemba Airport plays a critical role in supporting tourism and trade on Pemba Island.
3. Other Airstrips and Charter Services
Apart from the two main airports, Zanzibar has several smaller, private, or resort-affiliated airstrips that are not considered full public airports.
- Some luxury resorts and private islands utilize chartered flights or helicopter landings for transport.
- These airstrips are normally utilised in fast transfers and are not served by commercial airlines
Conclusion
There are two airports that are recognised in Zanzibar. It is the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) serving both internal and external flights and most visitors to Zanzibar pass through this airport which is set up on the Unguja Island. The second is the Pemba Airport (PMA) that is considered to be a domestic one, situated at Pemba Island and primarily serves regional domestic travel within Tanzania. Besides these, a few smaller airstrips spread throughout the archipelago serve to receive small traffic of private and charter flights and are usually used by luxury resorts or small interisland transfer purposes.
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